Kirklees

Kirklees' population increased by about 33,900 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population passed 420,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Kirklees increased by 8.7%, from just under 389,000 to 422,000.

The addition of almost 34,000 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Kirklees was home to, on average, 7.4 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Kirklees

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Kirklees increased by two years, from 36 to 38 years.

This area had a slightly lower average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained slightly younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 12,000 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 4,000.

About 11.0% of people in Kirklees are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Kirklees by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Kirklees

In 2011, 16.0% of Kirklees residents said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from from 11.5% in 2001.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the percentage of people from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 4.7% to 7.3%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 79.1% of people in Kirklees said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, compared with 85.6% in 2001. About 2.3% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 1.4% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 1.4% to 1.9%.

the population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Kirklees increased by 4.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Kirklees by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Kirklees working less than 16 hours increased from 1.8% to 3.3% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 11 (8.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 12.2% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 1.8% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Kirklees increased by 1.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Kirklees, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Living alone in Kirklees

The percentage of one-person households changed very little in Kirklees, while the proportion increased in Calderdale (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Kirklees).

In Kirklees, the proportion of one-person households stayed close to 30.3% between the last two censuses. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Calderdale increased from 30.5% to 32.8%.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of one-person households increased from 29.5% to 30.6%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Kirklees increased from 8.6% to 10.4%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 38.0% to 34.6%.

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Kirklees

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Kirklees was among those who said they had no religion, rising 10.4 points.

In 2011, 25.5% of respondents in Kirklees gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 15.1% of those who answered in 2001.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion that described themselves as having no religion increased from 15.3% to 27.8%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Kirklees, 57.1% said they were Christian, compared with 72.5% in 2001. About 15.5% said they were Muslim, compared with 10.9% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Sikh increased from 0.8% to 0.8%.

In Kirklees, 6.5% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 7.3% in 2001. In Yorkshire and The Humber, 6.8% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

the population without a religion in Kirklees increased by 10 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Kirklees by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Kirklees

The percentage of Kirklees residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.2% to 3.7% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.1%, while the percentage of Kirklees residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 89.7%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 3.5% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Kirklees that rented privately increased from 9.1% to 15.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over one in seven (15.3%) households lived in social housing, compared with 17.2% in 2001. The percentage of Kirklees households that owned their home decreased from 70.4% to 67.1%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 9.1% in 2001 to 15.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Kirklees increased by 6.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Kirklees, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Kirklees residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.8% to 5.8% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80.5%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67.7% in 2001. The percentage of Kirklees residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22.5% to 13.7%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 10.3% in 2001 to 6.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Kirklees decreased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Kirklees, Yorkshire and The Humber and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing relationships in Kirklees

The percentage of adults in Kirklees that were married decreased from 52.5% to 48.7% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in three (32.4%) people aged 16 and over said they were single, compared with 28.3% in 2001. The percentage of adults in Kirklees that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 10.9% to 12.0%.

The proportion of married people fell at a slower rate here than the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 51.9% in 2001 to 47.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 50.6% to 46.6%.

The proportion of married people was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Kirklees residents that were unemployed increased from 3.4% to 4.7% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in two (51.1%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 52.8% in 2001. The percentage of Kirklees residents that were self-employed increased from 7.6% to 9.0%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 3.7% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Kirklees increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Kirklees, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

The percentage of households in Kirklees with children remained close to 30.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage that had no children remained close to 59.6%, while the percentage of households in Kirklees with only adult children living with their parents increased from 9.2% to 9.3%.

The proportion of households with children fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 29.9% in 2001 to 28.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 29.5% to 29.2%.

The proportion of households with children was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Kirklees residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.1% to 2.3% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.2%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 2.3% in 2001 to 2.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Kirklees remained close to 2.3%

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Kirklees by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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